Zoo news in our own backyard

Third grade students from Marion Oaks Elementary School try to get the attention of Elliot, a Peking Duck, during their field trip to the Petting Zoo Ocala on West State Road 40 west of Ocala.

Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Star-Banner

By Marian RizzoCorrespondent

Published: Sunday, June 8, 2014 at 8:37 p.m.

Last Modified: Sunday, June 8, 2014 at 8:37 p.m.

Last month, third-grade teacher Abbi Moncada organized a Marion Oaks Elementary School field trip to Lowry Park Zoo. But when they arrived in Tampa, a sudden downpour kept the children in two chartered buses for an hour while they waited for the rain to stop. The kids never got inside the zoo.

Facts

Petting Zoo Ocala

Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily; closed Tuesdays

Where: 11150 W. State Road 40, Ocala

Cost: $7 for adults, $5 for ages 2-12, free for younger, $6 for seniors and veterans

Special rates for birthday parties and school groups.

(www.PettingzooOcala.com or 237-3527)

“They were disappointed,” Moncada recalled. “So, I Googled for things to do in northwest Ocala. We needed to do something close by and to be able to use the school buses.”

Much to her surprise, Moncada found something very “close by.” A zoo in northwest Ocala, in fact. She planned a replacement field trip, and, just a few days before school ended for the summer, 93 third-graders poured out of two yellow school buses and through the front gate at Petting Zoo Ocala.

“The kids had a blast,” Moncada said.

Opened in September, the zoo is located on 8 acres about 7 miles west of Interstate 75 off State Road 40. It sits on a former horse farm that boasts several paddocks, barns and small animal pens. The zoo is home to more than 100 animals, from ducks to ponies to a couple of camels affectionately known as Sheba and Annabell.

“I felt like taking it home,” said Cori. “But I think my parents wouldn’t want a goat in the house.”

Zoo owners Marcia and Luis Palacio were attracted to the area when they drove through Marion County about 20 years ago while transporting tigers for Ringling Bros. Circus. Years later, they moved here after they retired.

Managing a petting zoo is second nature to Luis, who said he grew up on a farm and has worked with animals all of his life.

“I went to the circus when I was 12 or 13,” he said. “I looked after the animals’ feed and water. Then I grew up to become an exotic animal groom and worked with elephants and camels.

“Everything here is going to be smaller, preferably farm animals.”

“Unless someone brings a wallaby,” interjected Marcia.

For now, Elliot the Peking duck is the first face visitors see at the gate.

“He’s our greeter,” Marcia said. “A lady said she found an egg at Orange Park. She took it home and put it under a heat lamp. It hatched, and Elliot came out. Then he outgrew the bathroom in her apartment. He came to us two weeks ago.”

Marcia said animal rehabilitation is a major part of the new zoo. One of the rescued animals is Pablo the pony.

“I don’t know where he came from. Someone said, ‘Here. Please take him,’ ” Marcia said. “He was just skin and bones and ulcerated around the face. And he had bad teeth.”

Now groomed and well-fed, Pablo and his buddy, Wee Willie Wilson, provide rides for kids.

As soon as the animals step foot on the property, they get names. Sometimes they’re taken from old sitcoms, such as the potbelly pigs named Elly May and Jethro of “The Beverly Hillbillies” and two emus named Fred and Ethel from “I Love Lucy.”

Gus the peacock caught the kids’ attention during the field trip when he fanned his colorful tail and strutted around his pen.

“Right now he’s in full plumage, but that will change one of these days,” said Marcia. “He just uses it to flirt. When the female is done laying eggs and actually sits on the eggs, the male’s feathers start falling out, and we have hundreds of peacock feathers everywhere. In six months, they’ll grow back. It takes about four to six weeks to go from nothing to a 4-foot tail.”

The zoo also has become home to goats, sheep, barnyard fowl and two steers — Moo Moo and Mini Moo Moo. There are two llamas from the former Silver Springs Nature Park. For now, they’re kept at the far end of the property, away from the public due to their bad habits.

“Cosmo is still a spitter, but he’s not as bad as he was,” Marcia said. “It used to be you couldn’t get within 10 feet of him and he’d start spitting. Now he chooses who he’s going to spit at. He doesn’t like sunglasses, maybe because he can’t see your eyes. It seems to be what sets off the spitting.”

The animals get free exams by veterinarian Dr. Mark Wilson, president of the Florida International Teaching Zoo in Bushnell. The Palacios only pay for medicines, when needed.

Wilson, who has worked with exotics as well as large and small domestic animals, still acts as a consultant for circus elephants. He said he was impressed with the Palacios’ operation.

“The Palacios have a long history of working with animals,” Wilson said. “They’re really good circus-animal people that have a tremendous amount of experience. I think it’s great that they opened up the petting zoo. They believe that children need to have that connection with animals. They have a lot of friendly animals. I can just make suggestions to them, and they know what to do.”

Wilson plans to perform low-cost pet vaccination clinics at the petting zoo one evening every month. He’ll be on site 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, he said.

Marcia said the May field trip by Marion Oaks Elementary School was the first time the zoo had visitors with the Marion County school system.

“We had a few private schools visit, but we never had any public schools,” she said. “Maybe this will open up the door for them.”

But the zoo has seen an increase of visitors over the months, including a lot of local walk-ins.

“We get more people through Trip Advisor from out of town,” she said. “They come down to visit grandparents who have moved here, and they plan their trip with the kids in mind to see what they can do to keep them busy. We are looking at getting a yearly or seasonal pass that would encourage the locals to come in.”

Several organizations have scheduled day camps for June. Throughout the summer, Petting Zoo Ocala will be open every day except Tuesday. A food vendor will be there on Saturdays and Sundays, the owners said, and there is a bounce house and a playground/picnic area; camel and pony rides will be available for a fee.

Donations are needed. Marcia said it costs more than $1,000 a week to feed all the animals. Funds also will be used to build more enclosures and to host activities. Aside from a maintenance man and family and friends who volunteer, the Palacios do the bulk of the work.

“We want to expand it as much as we can,” Luis said. “The only thing on the plans right now is we’re going to have a half-hour show with exhibitions on how we train the animals, and four or five different shows with demonstrations and audience participation. I’m going to employ local people who like working with animals.”

<p>Last month, third-grade teacher Abbi Moncada organized a Marion Oaks Elementary School field trip to Lowry Park Zoo. But when they arrived in Tampa, a sudden downpour kept the children in two chartered buses for an hour while they waited for the rain to stop. The kids never got inside the zoo.</p><p>“They were disappointed,” Moncada recalled. “So, I Googled for things to do in northwest Ocala. We needed to do something close by and to be able to use the school buses.”</p><p>Much to her surprise, Moncada found something very “close by.” A zoo in northwest Ocala, in fact. She planned a replacement field trip, and, just a few days before school ended for the summer, 93 third-graders poured out of two yellow school buses and through the front gate at Petting Zoo Ocala.</p><p>“The kids had a blast,” Moncada said.</p><p>Opened in September, the zoo is located on 8 acres about 7 miles west of Interstate 75 off State Road 40. It sits on a former horse farm that boasts several paddocks, barns and small animal pens. The zoo is home to more than 100 animals, from ducks to ponies to a couple of camels affectionately known as Sheba and Annabell.</p><p>On that recent field trip, Marion Oaks student Wade Cunningham, 8, got a close-up look at potbelly pigs.</p><p>“This is cool,” he said. “I like watching them roll around in the mud. And the goats feel real soft. If you pet one it feels furry.”</p><p>To Brianna Espinoza, 9, the favorites were Pablo the pony and Wee Willie Wilson, the miniature horse. Cori Johnson, 9, got to hold Norman, a baby pigmy goat.</p><p>“I felt like taking it home,” said Cori. “But I think my parents wouldn't want a goat in the house.”</p><p>Zoo owners Marcia and Luis Palacio were attracted to the area when they drove through Marion County about 20 years ago while transporting tigers for Ringling Bros. Circus. Years later, they moved here after they retired.</p><p>Managing a petting zoo is second nature to Luis, who said he grew up on a farm and has worked with animals all of his life.</p><p>“I went to the circus when I was 12 or 13,” he said. “I looked after the animals' feed and water. Then I grew up to become an exotic animal groom and worked with elephants and camels.</p><p>“Everything here is going to be smaller, preferably farm animals.”</p><p>“Unless someone brings a wallaby,” interjected Marcia.</p><p>For now, Elliot the Peking duck is the first face visitors see at the gate.</p><p>“He's our greeter,” Marcia said. “A lady said she found an egg at Orange Park. She took it home and put it under a heat lamp. It hatched, and Elliot came out. Then he outgrew the bathroom in her apartment. He came to us two weeks ago.”</p><p>Marcia said animal rehabilitation is a major part of the new zoo. One of the rescued animals is Pablo the pony.</p><p>“I don't know where he came from. Someone said, 'Here. Please take him,' ” Marcia said. “He was just skin and bones and ulcerated around the face. And he had bad teeth.”</p><p>Now groomed and well-fed, Pablo and his buddy, Wee Willie Wilson, provide rides for kids.</p><p>As soon as the animals step foot on the property, they get names. Sometimes they're taken from old sitcoms, such as the potbelly pigs named Elly May and Jethro of “The Beverly Hillbillies” and two emus named Fred and Ethel from “I Love Lucy.”</p><p>Gus the peacock caught the kids' attention during the field trip when he fanned his colorful tail and strutted around his pen.</p><p>“Right now he's in full plumage, but that will change one of these days,” said Marcia. “He just uses it to flirt. When the female is done laying eggs and actually sits on the eggs, the male's feathers start falling out, and we have hundreds of peacock feathers everywhere. In six months, they'll grow back. It takes about four to six weeks to go from nothing to a 4-foot tail.”</p><p>The zoo also has become home to goats, sheep, barnyard fowl and two steers — Moo Moo and Mini Moo Moo. There are two llamas from the former Silver Springs Nature Park. For now, they're kept at the far end of the property, away from the public due to their bad habits.</p><p>“Cosmo is still a spitter, but he's not as bad as he was,” Marcia said. “It used to be you couldn't get within 10 feet of him and he'd start spitting. Now he chooses who he's going to spit at. He doesn't like sunglasses, maybe because he can't see your eyes. It seems to be what sets off the spitting.”</p><p>The animals get free exams by veterinarian Dr. Mark Wilson, president of the Florida International Teaching Zoo in Bushnell. The Palacios only pay for medicines, when needed.</p><p>Wilson, who has worked with exotics as well as large and small domestic animals, still acts as a consultant for circus elephants. He said he was impressed with the Palacios' operation.</p><p>“The Palacios have a long history of working with animals,” Wilson said. “They're really good circus-animal people that have a tremendous amount of experience. I think it's great that they opened up the petting zoo. They believe that children need to have that connection with animals. They have a lot of friendly animals. I can just make suggestions to them, and they know what to do.”</p><p>Wilson plans to perform low-cost pet vaccination clinics at the petting zoo one evening every month. He'll be on site 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, he said.</p><p>Marcia said the May field trip by Marion Oaks Elementary School was the first time the zoo had visitors with the Marion County school system.</p><p>“We had a few private schools visit, but we never had any public schools,” she said. “Maybe this will open up the door for them.”</p><p>But the zoo has seen an increase of visitors over the months, including a lot of local walk-ins.</p><p>“We get more people through Trip Advisor from out of town,” she said. “They come down to visit grandparents who have moved here, and they plan their trip with the kids in mind to see what they can do to keep them busy. We are looking at getting a yearly or seasonal pass that would encourage the locals to come in.”</p><p>Several organizations have scheduled day camps for June. Throughout the summer, Petting Zoo Ocala will be open every day except Tuesday. A food vendor will be there on Saturdays and Sundays, the owners said, and there is a bounce house and a playground/picnic area; camel and pony rides will be available for a fee.</p><p>Donations are needed. Marcia said it costs more than $1,000 a week to feed all the animals. Funds also will be used to build more enclosures and to host activities. Aside from a maintenance man and family and friends who volunteer, the Palacios do the bulk of the work.</p><p>“We want to expand it as much as we can,” Luis said. “The only thing on the plans right now is we're going to have a half-hour show with exhibitions on how we train the animals, and four or five different shows with demonstrations and audience participation. I'm going to employ local people who like working with animals.”</p>